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Will Nokia’s Gamble On Windows Phone 7 Pay Off?

While it’s no surprise why Nokia chose Windows Phone 7 over Android, what is surprising is the fact that the company is convinced that Microsoft’s OS will help them make a comeback in face of increased competition from iOS and Android.

Despite the fact that Windows Phone 7’s market share is not that impressive, Nokia believes they have an ace up their sleeve that will set them apart from other manufacturers.

But Nokia’s relationship with Microsoft is different from the other Windows Phone licensees, who launched the first crop of handsets, HTC, LG, and Samsung. Nokia alone has the right to customize the Windows Phone UI. […]

“Even if we have the right to change it, it would be unwise to change it in ways that cause problems,” he says. Instead, Nokia plans to exploit the underlying OS to leverage both on-device features and a range of Nokia services: imaging, cameras, maps and navigation, to name just a few. (PC World)

Truthfully Nokia is going to need more than a redesign in order to attract the attention of the masses, let alone convince consumers to purchase their smartphone over iPhone, Blackberry, or the army of Android OEM’s sporting customized UI’s.

It might be wiser for Nokia to take a cue from carriers and strike up exclusive deals with app developers in order to help distinguish themselves from rivals big and small.

Unfortunately Nokia is not launching a Windows Phone 7 device this year, which means the company may find themselves in 2012 competing against yesteryear’s devices instead of the next generation of smartphones.